


saints in chains

by sunnybeas



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Deviates From Canon, Gavin Reed is a thirsty hoe, Hate Crimes, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Soft Upgraded Connor | RK900, tina is the supportive best friend we all deserve
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:00:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25949977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnybeas/pseuds/sunnybeas
Summary: And then he had crushed the barrel of the gun like it were made of cheap plastic, ignoring the blast of the misfire and splatter of thirium on his open palm. He lifted the perp up by the coat.“God, I wish that were me.”_Gavin meets Connor's little brother and finds out love at first sight is real.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 41
Kudos: 195





	1. wait out the plastic weather

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to publish something for this fandom for ages but I've been too nervous. Finally decided to bite the bulet and post it.

The first time Gavin Reed sees the RK900 he doesn’t have time to really look at him. It is an active crime scene that’s taking up the entire street and Gavin holes himself behind the barricade with Chen at his side. Teeth grit and hand sweating as he gripped his handgun, he only sees a white blur stride by and hoist itself over the barricade.  
A curse is halfway out of his mouth because of course a civilian would get cocky and bolt but no- the damn thing rips the door off the hinges of a car and surges forward. And Gavin is sitting there, mouth open, in full view of the shooter. He drops down beside Chen again, who is equally as fucking gob smacked. 

“Did you fucking see that?” Gavin demanded. 

“Of course, I did! Did Fowler hire a fucking Terminator? What was that?” she asked back, rolling to her knees to peek over the car again. 

Gavin scooted in next to her, eyes squinted. He felt like an idiot, gawking at the figure in white sprinting forward, car door acting as a shield and taking all the spray. It takes a leap and absolutely bodies the shooter, tossing the car door aside like a dinner plate. Its hand crunches the AK in its hand, and it misfires in the shooter’s hand. The fucker screams as the figure lifts him and slams him onto the concrete, knee on his back, hands pinned there securely.

“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit- “Gavin chanted, because the figure looks up and he’s half fucking sure he recognizes Connor’s smug little face. It’s different, though, and Gavin can’t quite pinpoint how because of the distance. 

“Well done, see, I knew he’d do well.” 

And that- that’s Connor’s peppy voice from behind him. Frowning, Gavin spins on his heel. 

“What the fuck is happening here?” He asked, sharply.

Connor and Anderson were dressed all up in their vests. Gavin snorted at the sight of Connor in his. He had seen the android take more bullets than he could count. Had almost put one in him more than a few times. 

The LED in Connor’s temple spins yellow briefly. “He has minor abrasions. Otherwise a near perfect introduction.” He smiled, too fucking bright and cheerful for Gavin, who was getting sick just looking at him. 

“Con, dear, sweetheart, love, please make sense. What was that?” Chen finally cut in. 

“My brother.” Connor replied simply, punctuating it with that dopey smile of his. His big ole doe eyes lifted past them and he rocked on his heels before starting forward.  
Gavin turned to follow when he caught sight of their blur. And holy fuck. Holy shit, Gavin didn’t think they built androids like that. Connor’s ‘brother’ was a massive specimen, towering over the shooter, eyeing the suspect wearily with eyes so pale they may as well have been white. 

It takes Gavin about five seconds to deduce that this thing, this android, was basically Connor on steroids. If that were something they could do, anyway. He was taller, a good foot or so, and he was fucking jacked, his arms thicker, shoulders broader. He looked scary as shit, his jaw sharper, wider, his eyes set in deeper and looking down at them all with those dead looking eyes.

He was hot. Like really, insanely, one of the hottest things Gavin had ever seen. And he hadn’t even looked his way yet. But he couldn’t tear his eyes away from him. It. Whatever. 

“Holy shit, just take a picture for your spank bank, creep.” Tina scoffed, elbowing him sharply. 

“Chen, shut the fuck up.” Gavin hissed, his neck and ears burning at being caught checking out a fucking android. One with Connor’s face too. 

The statement seemed to gain the android’s attention, though, because he looked up from Connor and stared directly at Gavin. Gavin couldn’t get a read on him, couldn’t eek the slightest bit of emotion from the thing’s blank ass face. His pale eyes flickered briefly over Gavin, almost sizing him up. Head tilted, eyes half lidded, the android regarded him for more than a few seconds. It was deliberate. Was it trying to intimidate him? 

“RK?” Connor’s voice broke through and the android looked away from Gavin, finally, to return his attention to Connor. 

“Shit, shit, shit.” Gavin cursed, turning on his heel to Chen. “Come on, we don’t need to be here anymore. Thing one n’ two got it.” 

They started back to Chen’s patrol car. She widened her stride to keep up with how fast Gavin was walking. 

Chen tossed her head back to laugh. “Look at you, lil’ Gavin Reed running scared from some sexy robot. Gav, did you see his pecs? Or his arms? Why did they give an android an ass that- “?

Gavin groaned. “I fucking saw! Cyberlife’s a bunch of fucking perverts. Holy shit, Tina.” He scrubbed his face with his hand. 

Tina clambered into the driver’s seat, grinning. “He better be at the station.” 

And fuck- Gavin hadn’t even considered that.

-

As luck would have it, God fucking hated Gavin Reed. He had just settled into his desk when Connor came striding in, Anderson at his side and leading their perp and the fucking Iron Giant trailing behind. Immediately Gavin looked towards Chen, who was practically vibrating in her seat. She shot him a grin and a wink before standing up from her seat.  
Anderson spoke lowly to Connor before nodding and taking the perp to the back. Which left Connor standing there with his grumpy looking twin. Chen chose this moment to strike. 

“Hey, Connor, who’s this?” She asked. 

Connor beamed, clearly tickled fucking pink that someone was taking an interest in his little pet project. He lifted a hand and gestured to the android beside him.  
“This is RK, my little brother. He moved here and Fowler offered him a position. Today was his trial. I’m fairly sure he exceeded Fowler’s expectations.” Connor reported, absolutely glowing with pride. 

Gavin snorted at his desk. Little? Little wasn’t a word to describe that ‘droid. 

“I’m Tina Chen, nice to meet you.” Chen offered her hand, smiling politely in that way of hers. Tina brought out the good in everyone. 

The android hesitated, studying her hand before taking it and shaking it carefully. “Nice to meet you, Officer Chen.” And oh- his voice was Connor’s but pitched lower. 

It sounded surprisingly good. Fuck. Gavin hated him. Hated his pretty, stupid face. 

“Gav, come say hi to the new guy!” Chen called, turning to face him with a wide, smug smile on her face. 

Gavin decided he hated her too. No more coffee runs or donuts for her. She was dead to him. 

“I’m good.” He said, instead.

Connor frowned. The big guy didn’t do anything, just stared. Shit. 

“RK and Hank are going to be interrogating the shooter. I’ll be reviewing the footage if anyone has any need for me.” Connor informed Tina. 

“Gavin and I can help with that!” Tina blurted out. 

Connor blinked, clearly surprised. “You want to help me?” His eyes flickered uncertainly to Gavin, who was making a face, his middle finger up and pointed to Connor. 

“I want to see that asshole getting his up close and personal.” Tina said. “Reed won’t admit it, but he does too.”

Gavin again held his middle finger up, though neither Connor or Tina were looking his way. He, instead, caught the attention of RK. And Gavin swore, he fucking swore, he saw the flicker of a smile on his face. 

“Okay, that’s fine then.” Connor was still uncertain, but Tina was insistent. 

He wasn’t sure why until they were seated all together, huddled up in front of the screen. 

Seeing it from afar had been one thing but holy shit, seeing RK900 in action up close was a whole different experience. 

“Holy shit.” Gavin rasped out, watching as he ripped the car door with his bar hands from the hinges. He sat tall in his seat. 

RK hadn’t stopped, hadn’t faltered once as the shooter had let loose a barrage. He had just driven forward, expression drawn, brow furrowed. And then he had crushed the barrel of the gun like it were made of cheap plastic, ignoring the blast of the misfire and splatter of thirium on his open palm. He lifted the perp up by the coat.

“God, I wish that were me.” Gavin murmured, sinking into his seat. His eyes tracked how fluidly RK moved. 

Tina choked out a laugh from beside him. “You’re a fucking mess.”

Connor frowned, so severely that his stupid forehead dented in from the faux wrinkles. 

“Please don’t objectify RK in front of me.” He requested, weakly. 

“Connor, where the fuck have you been hiding my teenage wet dream from?” Gavin demanded, emboldened by RK’s absence. 

Connor’s head bowed and he rubbed at his temples needlessly. 

“Gavin, that’s his baby brother!” Tina chided, smacking at his arm, though she wore a broad grin on her lips. She loved Gavin when he was in a mood like this. 

“Baby brother my fucking ass, look at him- “

“You wish he were fucking- “ 

“I am literally begging you to stop.” Connor interjected. 

“Listen, I’m trying to do some begging myself here, Connor, so help me out here.” Gavin continued. 

Connor let out a pained groan and dropped his head completely into his palms in the same moment Tina let out a cackling laugh, her head tossed back. 

“You’re intolerable.” Connor accused, shaking his head as he stood up. “I brought this for research purposes, and you’ve ruined it.”

“Wish your brother would ruin me.” Gavin mumbled. 

Connor paused, his LED blipping red before he promptly turned on his heel and strode quickly out of the room. In his absence, the two dissolved into laughter. 

“I think you broke him this time. Anderson is gonna be on your ass for traumatizing his boyfriend.” Tina snorted, wiping tears from her eyes. 

Gavin reached forward and rolled the vid back, taking extra care to watch how RK had lifted the man with absolutely no effort. Oh. This might become a problem. 

“If you’re done, Fowler wants to speak to you.” Connor poked his head around through the door again, frowning sourly at the screen and where it had paused. 

Gavin sighed and forced himself to his feet. He tossed the remote Chen’s way. 

“It’s not going to be as much fun without you.” She complained. 

“Just enjoy the eye candy, Chen.” Gavin shrugged, following Connor down the hall. 

Just looking at Connor, the differences between he and his younger counterpart were drastic. Their faces were eerily similar but RK’s had a sharpness where Connor’s was soft. Connor was clearly meant to assimilate where RK looked the complete opposite. Like he was meant to be identified as an android. What had he been made for that he was built that mean looking? 

Hands shoved into his pockets; Gavin turned to the door of Fowler’s office. Knocking twice, he stepped in. Directly into the personal space of RK, who did not budge even as Gavin knocked his shoulder clumsily into his mid arm. And Christ on a fucking cracker, Gavin’s head barely measured to his shoulder. He swallowed hard. 

“Reed, you meet RK yet?” Fowler asked, shifting in his seat just slightly to face him.

“Uh, sort of.” He took a long step back, hands curling to fists in his jacket pocket. 

“Well, better get the introductions out now. He’s your new partner.” He paused, eyes squinting up at Gavin, waiting for the explosion.

RK looked down, extended his hand which was going to swallow Gavin’s in it. Even his hands were built big. Vaguely, Gavin wondered how they would feel-

“It’s nice to formally meet you. I’m RK.”

Gavin had been right before. This was going to be a big fucking problem.


	2. hell for leather, hell for sure

Sure, Gavin thinks, this may as well happen. Add it on to the shitstorm that was his life. Stack it on top of the ungodly long list of screwed up things that happen to him. Completely prepared to wallow in his misfortune for a few hours longer, he groans when his alarm goes off. Fumbling for his phone, he clicks it off.  
He hadn’t slept as all. Too distracted by the thought of the absolute monster of a man- or machine, that was his new partner. What the fuck had Fowler been thinking? Gavin didn’t do partners, hadn’t had one that stuck around in years. And an android? God, what was he, Anderson? 

Anderson and Connor were attached at the hip since the Revolution, which Gavin still found pretty fucking gross. Not totally because of the android-human thing but more because he really didn’t like Connor’s golden retriever sunshine child energy. Who the fuck programmed him to be so perky twenty four seven? A sadist. A sadist hellbent on ruining Gavin’s life. He vaguely wondered if that person was the same to program RK. 

If so, Gavin would love to have a conversation about why they gave the RK brother’s absolutely fat asses and why RK had been given Adonis arms. It didn’t make sense. Why did they need those? Why did RK need arms that could literally rip a car door off it’s hinges if not to torture Gavin? 

It was cruel. Cyberlife was a clusterfuck of perverts. 

He dragged himself out of bed, trudged to the bathroom mirror. Yikes. The bags under his eyes were violently dark. Checking the time, he had just enough to brush his hair and wash his face. 

Opening the bathroom door, he heard the exasperated meows of his cats, who had begun to swarm around, batting little paws beneath it. All three began demanding their breakfast, hooking around his legs and successfully tripping him twice on his way to the kitchen. 

Each arranged themselves expectantly at their respective dishes, meowing noisily in impatience. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m hurrying, assholes.” He mumbled, opening the drawer that held their dry food. 

Fig, the biggest and oldest, a raggedy looking tabby, was fed first and swiftly began inhaling his. Then came Bean, younger by a few years and a sleek little black shorthair, who was comically small beside her brothers. Lastly was the newest arrival, a little ginger he’d found half dead in a dank, wet alley. Under his care, the little monster had flourished and become the most obnoxious cat in existence. Even now, as his siblings had patiently waited for theirs, he was meowing relentlessly.

His name, Bolo, had been Tina’s idea. Old codewords from some book she’d been reading. Be on Look Out, it meant, a clever draw on how Gavin had spotted him in the dark. So, Bolo is was. 

Filling the little asshole’s bowl up, he scratched at his little head. Then turned on his heel to the door, pulling on his trusty leather jacket. Tina hated the thing, called it dated. Gavin called it part of his established look. It was on his way out the door that he remembered- RK was his partner now. RK, the android ‘little’ brother to his established arch nemesis. RK who was now going to be with him almost twenty four fucking seven and who looked like he could be the cover of every Vogue in existence. 

Shit. 

__

RK had a fucking gravity to him. Gavin’s eyes were drawn to the damn droid the moment he stepped into the bullpen. The feeling must have been mutual because both Chris and Tina were standing beside him. It looked…off somehow. Tina was leaning against a desk, his, actually, he noticed. Chris was standing, stance wide, clearly nervous and on edge.  
But RK- he was standing in a way that was so clearly practiced. Leaning against the opposite desk, arms crossed, feet angled towards them both. He was mimicking, Gavin realized. He had no idea what he was doing when it came to talking to humans. It was painfully obvious, in how stiffly he held his arms, how he didn’t even bother to smile or move his face. It was all so forced. He didn’t know what the fuck he was doing as far as humans were concerned. 

Gavin felt a surge of confidence. How could someone so clueless be intimidating?

Tina’s tense expression shifted when she noticed Gavin. She smiled, exhaled a breath she’d been nervously holding. 

“Gavin!” She greeted, waving him over. 

Gavin approached, suddenly feeling a lot lighter than he had moments before. 

“Good morning, Detective Reed.” RK greeted, nodding his head. 

God, he was worse than Connor had been. 

“Uh, yeah, hey.” Gavin returned. He shifted towards his desk, hip checking Chen as he did. 

She snorted, eyes rolling as she scooted off his desk. RK tracked the interaction, curiously. Gavin wondered what those little moments meant to him or if they meant anything at all. Had he learned everything he knew about humans from Connor? If so, this partnership was going to fucking suck. He couldn’t deal with Connor 2.0. 

And- there was coffee at his desk. A fresh, hot cup, black and in a mug he didn’t recognize. 

“Who?” He asked, squinting at Tina, who held her hands up in mock surrender. 

“I noted you were running late and assumed you wouldn’t have time to stop for coffee. Did I overstep?” RK spoke up, straightening up to his full height. His eyes stared dead at Gavin now, unblinking, fucking eerie. 

“Uh, no. Thanks. How’d you know I drink it black?” He wondered, taking a test sip. Fucking perfect. 

His eyes dropped now and he looked almost embarrassed. His expressions were difficult to track but Gavin was an ace fucking detective and was getting used to android mannerisms. 

“I may have asked Connor a bit about you. He was helpful.” RK admitted, reluctantly. 

And fuck- RK had studied up on him. Gavin felt something imperceptible pull in the pit of his stomach at the thought of RK going out of his way to ask about him.

“You got Connor to give you a Gavin 101 course? And I wasn’t involved?” Tina asked, feigning hurt and resting a hand over her chest. “RK, bud, ask me next time. I’m his best friend, I know all the fun, dirty little secrets.” 

RK tilted his head again, looking directly at Gavin as he spoke. “I may just take you up on that.”

And all the confidence Gavin might have felt disappeared immediately as RK spoke. How did he manage to do that? What the fuck kind of seduction protocols had they programmed this asshole with? How did he appear to know so little about human body language and then make a simple sentence sound so…dirty?

Gavin felt like a teenager again. He felt stupid reacting like this, his whole face burning red. 

“I actually have a few questions for you.” Gavin blurted out. “If we’re going to be partners or whatever.”

RK was a master of micro expressions. His brow twitched together just slightly. 

“Ask away. Though I admit there are some aspects of myself I would prefer to keep quiet. For the time being.” He leaned back.

Gavin looked to Tina, who was looking curiously at RK, clearly formulating her own questions. 

“How long have you been activated?” Tina blurted out. 

“Seven months.” RK responded. 

Seven months? How had Connor, sunshine embodied, not managed to spill about him? 

“And like…you’re Connor’s brother?” Gavin filled in. “But you aren’t an RK800 model?”

“Well, no. Not technically but Connor likes the term brother. I was designed to fill in where Connor did not. I’m a superior model by all accounts though I admit I lack the socialization protocols he has. He was meant to integrate, I was not.” RK explained, mechanically, his expression blanking once more. 

Boring, Gavin decided, though he would hold onto the term superior model just to bother Connor with it. 

“Where were you?” Tina asked. God, he loved her. Going straight for the good shit. 

“Pardon?” That caught RK off guard. 

“You said you were activated seven months ago. Where were you? I’m sure we would have heard about you before if you were in Detroit.” Tina pressed. 

RK hesitated, his arms crossing again over his chest. The light show on his temple blipped yellow, spinning round solidly before settling blue. 

“New York.” He said, shortly. 

“Ooh.” Tina hummed. “Interesting.”

“Hardly.” RK murmured. This was a sore spot, though he was doing his best to conceal it. 

“Why’d you come back?” Gavin asked.

RK looked back up. “That,” he said, politely, “is where I’d like to draw the line.”

Gavin so desperately wanted to press the issue and ask. What happened in New York? Why had he gone there? Why was he here now?

Gavin was a detective down to his bones and he was not going to let this go. 

“You know we’re gonna get it out of you, eventually.” Gavin said, challenging, wanting desperately for RK to rise to his bait. 

And RK- the asshole fucking smiled, bared his perfect teeth and tilted his head. 

“You’re welcome to try. Now, I believe the Captain just assigned us a case.”

__

RK found the bullpen to be a not entirely unpleasant space. It was noisy, the ringing of phones was endless and irritating, the dull hum of conversations and various voices mingling together- it was so much feedback. It was becoming quite overwhelming- 

“Yo, Terminator, you good?” Graciously, Detective Reed interrupted the loud feedback and drawing him in. 

“Yes.” He responded immediately. 

Detective Reed's face scrunched up in disbelief. 

“It’s quite loud.” He admitted.

“Well come on then, we’re headed to a crime scene anyway.” Gavin shrugged, gesturing for him to follow. 

“Can you, like, turn down your hearing or whatever?” He asked as they walked. 

RK frowned. “I can.” 

“Well whenever it gets too loud just do that, right?” He said as if it were that simple. 

RK felt foolish for not having thought about that before. He adjusted his hearing for a moment, testing it out. It was an improvement. 

“Thank you.” 

RK caught the tips of Reed’s ears turn red as he turned his face from him. “Don’t mention it, tin can.” 

They exited the building and reached Gavin’s car. It wasn’t a new model, dented in the driver’s door side. 

“You know, this is the second car I’ve been in and I already prefer it.” RK pointed out, slipping into the driver’s seat. He curled his nose at the coffee cups on the floor.

“Ha, you hate Anderson’s car that much?” Gavin snorted. 

“Well, it’s a slight improvement on that bucket.” RK said, disdainfully. 

Gavin laughed, shaking his head. “Oh my god, you’re a fucking snob.” He accused. 

“Well, I am Cyberlife’s latest and most advanced model.” RK retorted, the makings of a smile on his lips. 

Gavin felt that pull again, that little wiggling feeling at the bottom of his stomach whenever RK did anything endearing. That asshole. God he was such a sap for a pretty face. 

“Oh god, shut up.” Gavin groaned. “I’m using that on Connor, by the way, can’t wait to see his little baby face when I do.”

“Please, Detective, insulting my brother will seriously be a detriment to our partnership.” RK countered, smiling fully now, and fully giving Gavin heart palpitations. 

“Oh no, wouldn’t want that.” 

And the fucker had the nerve to laugh, actually laugh. It was a good sound, gave Gavin the shivers. 

Gavin was almost grateful they were heading to a crime scene, he'd be able to get his shit together long enough to work. And work was what he did best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're starting to learn a little more about RK and Gavin both. RK's past is unknown to pretty much everyone except Connor, Hank and Fowler. Wonder how long they can keep that up? 
> 
> Thank you to all the kind reviews!


	3. when the truth hunts you down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RK sees his first crime scene and Gavin helps him down from a panic attack.

Their crime scene ends up being a lackluster introduction for RK. It’s an android body, absolutely trashed down to being tagged with graffiti. It was purposeful, the thirium pump removed, crushed then forced back into the chest cavity. The throat was cut, needlessly, messily, deep enough for them to see the wires and inner bits beneath the white skin.  
Seeing android bodies still hit different. Before the revolution, this wouldn’t have phased him, he might have laughed even. He was crueler then, had so much hate built up. That hate was still there, angry and just beneath the skin but he didn’t direct it towards androids. As much. He was a work in progress. Tina helped, so did Connor. He’d never willingly admit that though.

Gavin sighed, squatting beside the body.

“Can you get a read on his model number?” Gavin called back to RK.

He had lingered behind, almost hesitant at the mention of a android body. Gavin didn’t have time to unpack that or coddle him. They were in android crimes, RK couldn’t be squeamish about blood or bodies. 

Still, he watched RK close as he approached and knelt beside him. His hand extended, touching the thirium pooled around the body with delicate care.  
And fuck- nothing Hank had said could have prepared him for the sight of RK pressing those two fingers into his mouth. His lips closed around his fingers and his eyes shut as he analyzed. It should have been gross. Should have been really, incredibly disgusting and yet- Gavin cleared his throat. 

“Anything?”

“He is registered as Logan, an AP700 model.” RK started. “Formally registered to a John and Monica Roberts. Neither have previous records. Give me a moment.”  
He reached forward again and clasped the hand of the android. His own skin peeled back, revealing the shiny white polymer beneath. It was strange to look at up close, made Gavin a little nauseous if he stared at the missing skin too long. 

“His core memory is damaged but I believe if we can get him back to the precinct I can repair and discern what led to his death.” RK told him, his confidence building.  
Nodding, Gavin stood. “Well, call and get transport down here.” He instructed. “We can head back. Contact the Roberts n’ get this shit show started.”

RK lingered back at the body, turning his back to Gavin. His hand paused above the android’s mouth, his knuckles brushing over the parted lips. His hands shook. 

“You comin’, tin can?” Gavin snapped, turning just as RK stood.

“He’ll get a proper burial, won’t he?” RK questioned. 

“Uh, yeah, I think. Before that was really up to…” He grit his teeth. “You know. Now, I’m not sure.”

“I think he deserves it.” RK said, finally tearing himself away from the body. Silently, he made the call for the transport to arrive and pick up the body. He had specific instructions for the care that was to be put into delivering him. 

Gavin eyed him. “Looks like he suffered enough. We’ll put him to rest, big guy.” Gavin assured him. 

RK looked up, his shoulders drawn tight and expression pinched. He looked all wound up, ready to pop at any given moment. 

“Thank you, Detective.”

Gavin nodded and started back to the car. They were silent most of the way. Silence always made Gavin twitchy, he couldn’t stand it.

“You didn’t do bad, for your first time.” He finally spoke up.

“First time?” RK echoed. 

“Seein’ a body. It’s never easy.”

He stole a look RK’s way. The android was looking dead ahead, his LED spiraling gold as he thought. 

“It wasn’t my first time.” RK told him. “But you are right, it wasn’t easy.”

There was a lot to unpack there and he didn’t have half the time he wanted. Gavin tapped at the steering wheel. 

“I, uh-“

“You may ask. I may not give satisfactory answers but I’ll respond within reason.” RK told him, patiently.

“Where the fuck did you see a body? I thought you just got into being a cop?” Gavin demanded. 

“New York was…a difficult place for an android fresh out of stasis. I was exposed to many things I should not have been.” RK admitted, carefully, looking down to his clenched fists. He watched, curiously, as the chassis over his fingers glitched. White to flesh, white to flesh. 

“Shit. Did- Was it someone you knew?” Gavin asked. 

RK looked up at him. “Yes.”

He waited, gauging Gavin’s reaction. The detective was quite responsive, it was interesting. Humans were not guarded with their emotions, it was extraordinary, how they could display it so easily. RK was a bit envious of it, honestly. And the detective was no exception.

Gavin flinched, slightly, at the development, but nodded.

“I’m, uh, sorry. Losing someone is rough.” He cringed at his own word usage. 

Rough? Really?

“Rough.” RK echoed, voice tinged with amusement. “That’s certainly one way of putting it.”

Gavin snorted, unable to contain his laughter. And the fucker joined him, smiling quietly in that way of his, chin raising back, showing that cut fucking jawline.  
RK keeps himself calm as they depart the crime scene, locks his eyes on the Detective, who doesn’t fail to make light of the situation. It might have bothered RK, had it been another. But he found the Detective’s weak jokes were a welcome distraction from the brewing storm within RK’s mind. 

Connor had warned him their job was grisly and unpleasant but he hadn’t expected the painful lurch in his systems at the sight of one of his own brutalized senselessly. Warning signs had blurred his vision, blaring red angrily until he blinked them away, determined not to slip in front of Detective Reed.  
He felt a need to impress his partner, to prove he was not there to replace or undermine his position. He also found himself…liking the Detective. He was awkward, mildly unpleasant for a human but tolerable in a way RK found oddly endearing. He was foul mouthed, far more than the Lieutenant, more than any human RK had encountered. RK liked it.  
Gavin Reed lacked any pretenses, any hesitation or manners and RK found himself eagerly awaiting for him to speak, for him to act. He was interesting. He was new. He was the closest to a friend RK had come to in months. RK needed that companionship, needed the connection. 

Connor was a confidant, a brother even, but there were parts of himself that RK felt he could not bare onto anyone. New York had taken a piece of him and he had left it there willingly. He would not allow himself to delve into his reasons, too afraid to recognize the ugliness there. 

They wouldn’t like it, wouldn’t accept that part of him. So he forced the good to the front, would smile when he was supposed to and bring the detective coffee as much as he needed to win them over. He wanted to be liked, to be loved even. 

“Tin can, you awake over there?” The Detective called. 

“Apologies, detective, I was examining the scene.” The lie came easily.

Detective Reed frowned but nodded. “Well, examine when you get inside. We can go over all the fragments together.”

Together. RK nodded, smiling. 

“Of course.” 

He exited the car and heard the Detective slam his door shut behind him. The noise rang out and RK’s eyes shuttered closed. Error readings flew over his vision and he stuttered to a stop, hand raising out to brace himself against whatever he could. 

What he felt instead was warmth, bunched fabric and warm skin his open palm. 

“Hey, hey, what- you good?” The detective asked, startled and unsure. “Need me to grab Connor? Speak the fuck up.”

Embarrassed, RK shook his head. “No. I need a moment.” 

The Detective shifted beneath his hand and RK moved to pull away. 

“Steady, tin can, can’t have you breaking down on the first day.” His hand curved firmly over RK’s and held him there. 

“I apologize, my code-“ RK started. 

“Oh, shut up, I know what an anxiety attack looks like. Just let it pass. We got time.” The Detective cut in, a frown evident in his tone. “Just let me know when you’re ready.”

Slowly, the error codes across his HUD disappeared until his vision was clear.

He blinked and saw the Detective clearly, brow furrowed over his startling hazel eyes. Had his eyes always had that much green? He hadn’t noticed before. 

“I’m alright now.” RK spoke up, softly. 

The Detective dropped his hand. “Good, now we have shit to do. Lemme know next time, okay? We can get you somewhere quiet. Parking lots not exactly the best place to have a breakdown.” 

Gavin spoke callously, but he made a mental note that RK was sensitive to loud noises. Load of good it’d do for him, considering he was in a job where getting shot at was inevitable. Still, Gavin could do his best to make sure he wasn’t shaken up too badly. 

“I’ll be sure to let you know.” RK replied, dryly. 

Gavin snorted and started off. RK stood still, hesitant, hands shaking slightly still. He clenched his fists tight and exhaled needlessly only to steady his systems. 

“Thank you.” RK said, softly, knowing the Detective was too far away to hear it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Learning just a little more about RK's past and his possible PTSD, though the source of it is still unnamed. I imagine Gavin has his share of anxiety and knows exactly how to coach someone through it, in his own way.


	4. a beautiful crime

The body was no less gruesome laying atop the examination table than it had been in the shabby alleyway. RK circled, examining the trashed body from all angles. To Gavin, who had been watching him closely since the incident in the parking lot, the movement was almost predatory. RK’s eyes took on a darker shade as he grew closer, lips pressed thinly together, seemingly lost in thought. 

RK tended to do that, become so wrapped up internally that he neglected his outward environments. Gavin vaguely wondered if Connor was like that, tucked that thought away as a gross passing whim to pay closer attention to RK’s predecessor. 

“You ready?” Gavin asked. 

RK fixed that intense gaze on him and Gavin shivered. Still creepy, he thought. 

“I am.” RK confirmed, gently lifting the corpse’s hand in his own. 

His thumbs rubbed circles into the skin, gently, and Gavin’s chest ached at the sight of it. RK’s chassis filtered back and he connected, palm to palm, with the other android. Gavin’s own fingers twitched idly. He wondered what it felt like, to have that sort of connection, to see into another person that intimately. It would make things a hell of a lot easier, he thought. Still, he stuffed his curled fists into his jacket pockets. Even if he was able, he didn’t think he could let anyone see in too deep. There was too much anger there, too much damage. 

Wouldn’t be fair to expose anyone to the mess that was his head. Especially someone like RK, who clearly had his own shit to deal with. 

RK’s eyes were shut again, brows pinched in the middle, forming an almost perfect wrinkle in the center of his brow. Someone had designed that, meticulously, along with the freckles across his nose and the dimple in the outer corner of his mouth. 

"Anything?” Gavin pressed, impatient now that he was left alone with silence and his traitorous brain. 

“A moment, please.” RK’s voice was strained, drawn taut like he was concentrating. 

Gavin shifted uneasily. 

“I have what we need.” RK announced, delicately laying the hand down atop the table before turning to Gavin. 

He was tense, shoulders drawn back in an almost perfect mimicry of human behavior. It was crazy, he thought, how much they had put into him. 

“Can I see?” Gavin asked, frowning. 

“Yes.” RK extended his hand. “Your phone, please.” 

“Uh,” Gavin reluctantly surrendered his phone, “don’t look into my shit, creep.”

RK snorted. “Please, I have no interest in exploring what kind of pornography you’re inclined to, Detective.” He took the device and his skin peeled back once more as he connected to it.

“Asshole.” Gavin accused. 

RK simply smiled, just another small one, before it fell as a video pulled across the screen.

It was pulled straight from Logan’s vision, making the experience all the more gut wrenching. 

“Please, please, I’m just trying to get home-“ Hands jut out, defensive and scared as he backs up. He jostles and Gavin assumes that’s his back hitting the brick wall.   
Before them are three humans, looming, not quite as large as him but armed. One has a knife, a gnarled looking thing, the blade curved. 

They’d already started stabbing, Gavin realized, startled. 

“Fuckin’ plastic piece of shit.” One cursed, shoving forward until Logan hit the ground. 

“He’s not fighting back.” Gavin murmured. 

“He’s an AP700 model, he was made for care taking.” RK stated. 

The rest was senseless violence, three angry humans abusing and murdering an android who wouldn’t raise a hand against them. RK watched, for the second time, in silence. It was such a familiar scene, violence against his people had been something he was aware of from the moment he had awoken. He had seen it, again and again, the bodies of his fellow androids destroyed and tossed aside. 

They may be alive, legally, but it had never been more obvious that they were not considered human or worthy of the life the government had given them. It was infuriating. But most of all it was heart breaking. What hope did RK have, a hunter turned detective, to achieve humanity?

RK’s fists curled. “I have the identities of the assailants.” He stated. “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

“Let’s go get these fuckers.” The Detective agreed. 

And that, RK decided, was enough for him to trust Gavin Reed. Despite all Connor had shown him of the Detective’s behavior before the Revolution, he was changing. He had shown genuine disgust for the actions of his people against the androids. He showed remorse. All RK could ask of him was to try and this was proof the Detective was growing.   
That meant everything. 

RK shifted, forcing his body to relax. He spared a last glance to Logan’s body. 

Eyes shuttering close, darkness dimmed around his vision, forcing intrusive memories forward. Another body laying back up on the street, thirium pouring from his open mouth, dark eyes open but unseeing. 

“Fuck.” He rasped out, shaking his head. “Let’s go.”

Gavin blinked, clearly surprised at his language. “Didn’t know you had it in you, RK.” He chuckled. 

And RK softened because of course Gavin couldn’t possibly understand his outburst. He offered a smile and a nod, not quite trusting his systems to speak. Error codes burst in his HUD and he shoved them away as they walked. 

“Jericho is coming by to pick him up.” Gavin spoke up. “He’ll be buried, have a whole ceremony. If you wanted t’go.”

RK stuttered as he walked and looked, surprised, to the Detective. 

Gavin immediately back tracked, cheeks flooding with color. “Just sounded like it meant a lot to you. S’okay if you don’t, it was just-“

“I would like that. I haven’t been to Jericho in some time. It would be nice to put Logan to rest.” RK admitted.

He couldn’t place the emotion he felt now. It was familiar, the spark filling his chest with unbelievable warmth, and even before he never knew the name for it. He felt his thirium pump firing rapidly, cycling to keep up with the adrenaline burning through his skin. 

“You would come with me?” He asked, almost hesitantly. 

Gavin looked up, head tilted. “They let bigots onto Jericho?” He asked, frowning. 

“I’d hardly classify you as a bigot.” RK curbed that immediately, unsatisfied with Gavin’s habit of downplaying his emotional growth. 

“Well…” He shrugged. “Ex-bigot, I guess. But seriously, they allow humans onto Jericho?”

“They would make an exception for the man that helped bring justice for one of their own.” RK assured him. 

Gavin tore his gaze away. “Uh, yeah, I’d like to go then.”

The conversation dropped as they entered the car. RK’s hands curled. Another emotion burned within him as he recalled their objective. Anger. It was hot and close to his chest. 

**Objective: Apprehend Logan’s murderers at all costs.**

___

The address led them to a shabby two story home just outside of central Detroit. 

Gavin whistled. “What a shit hole.” 

RK made no comment, too focused on their mission. 

“You ready?” Gavin asked. 

RK looked up, met his eyes and nodded. 

Knocking on the door accomplished absolutely nothing. There was no response, just hollow silence after Gavin rapped his knuckles three times over the splintering wood frame. 

RK listened intently. “There are three heat signatures inside.” He said, lowly. 

Gavin knocked again. “Detroit police, open up!” he called, loudly. 

There was a thump of footsteps and hushed whispers. RK’s instincts screamed and he shoved forward, knocking heavily into the door and using it as a shield as a barrage of gunfire came their way. He spared a glance to Gavin, who had ducked aside from the door to retrieve the pistol at his hip.   
RK tossed the door aside and locked his gaze on the first gunman. He was a heavy set men, his yellow teeth grit as he aimed a shotgun his way. RK surged forward, not stopping as his body absorbed three clean shots, and crunched the barrel of the gun in his fist. He forced the gun back, knocking into the man’s nose and sending him stumbling back from the force of it. His head knocked heavily into the floor and he was out.

RK noted the exchange of gunfire behind him, Gavin’s pistol versus the blasts of shotgun shells. Again, RK was on his feet. Cursing, a gunman tore up the stairwell. Gavin neutralized his own man with a skilled shot through the shoulder that rendered his left arm useless.

“Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit.” Gavin grunted. 

“I’m going to pursue the last gunman.” RK told him. 

“RK, wait-“

Ignoring the request, RK took off. The last man had holed himself in an upstairs bedroom. 

“You know bullets won’t hurt me, come out and surrender, coward!” RK called out, fury building within him. 

He knew this feeling, knew what it meant and knew where to put it. He kicked in the door and immediately rolled to avoid the clash of gunfire. Pushing himself to his knees, he launched at the man, who cursed wildly as he jumped back, trying desperately to avoid RK’s grasp. 

RK was no fool and moved with him, grasping him by his collar and lifting him with ease. He tossed him across the room, the gun clattering to the floor and the man slamming into a mirror. It shattered behind him and the man gasped, the air knocked from his chest. 

“Do you feel it now? How defenseless he was?” RK demanded, striding across the room to lift him once more. “How you just hit and hit and wouldn’t stop no matter how he begged?”

Coiling back, RK socked the man across the mouth. “Do you understand how cruel it was, to leave him half alive you monster-“ 

The man sputtered, blood in his mouth. “Please, I’m sorry!”

“I don’t care how sorry you are, he’s gone and you did this to me-“

“RK!” A hand caught his fist and pulled back. 

It did little, strength wise, but the touch was enough for RK to draw back, blinking. Gavin was at his side, wide eyed, chest heaving. 

“Hey, man, you’ve got to calm the fuck down. Put the guy down, he surrendered, okay?” His tone was firm and yet comforting, talking him down. 

RK dropped the man, staggering back. “I-“ He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Go wait outside until the ambulance is here, okay? Fuck.” Gavin turned to the man, kneeling down. 

Gavin reading the man his rights was drowned out as RK descended. His audio receptors picked up on nothing as he stepped outside, sitting down on the ruined porch. Hollowly, he bowed his head. 

How had he allowed this to happen? He had been so careful. His anger had gone unchecked for months now, slowly building until it boiled over. 

“RK?” He was startled at the sound of his own name. 

“Officer Chen.” He greeted. 

“Where’s Gavin?” She asked. 

“Inside, he’s fine.” He assured her.

She exhaled in relief. “Are you?” She questioned.

“I sustained three bullet wounds to my left arm and torso. I’m functional.” He replied. 

“No, like, are you okay?” She pressed, sitting beside him. 

RK looked up to where her squad car sat. He could hear the ambulance distantly. His eyes shut. He did not require sleep but he was suddenly very tired. 

“We should check on the Detective.” He responded. 

Tina put a hand on his shoulder. “You rest until the tech gets here. Let me go.” She told him, sternly. 

She pat his shoulder and stood, entering the house. RK cranked his audio receptors up high.

“Tina, holy shit, you should have seen it.” Gavin choked out. 

“He’s a mess, Gav, what happened?” Tina demanded. 

“Can androids have ptsd? Or like, mental breakdowns? Because that’s what it looked like. He was possessed or something, the way he looked at me when I tried to stop him. I thought he was going to kill me.” 

And that, RK decided, was worse than any bullet entering him. He scrubbed his face with his palm. He had made Gavin afraid of him. He had lost control. 

He reached out to Connor, securing their link. Connor was immediately responsive. 

“You were right, again. I need help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RK: I can't get attached  
> Also RK: I'll ask him to be my date to this funeral


	5. in deep devotion

_Secrets I have held in my heart  
Are harder to hide than I thought  
Maybe I just wanna be yours  
I wanna be yours, I wanna be yours  
Wanna be yours, wanna be yours, wanna be yours  
I wanna be yours- arctic monkeys_  
____

RK is gone by the time Gavin makes his way out. He’s immediately pissed- because you don’t just disappear after a stunt like that. He calls out to the medic, who’s already set to start working on the injured perps. 

“You see an android come by? Big, mean lookin’?” He asked.  
"  
Yeah, he refused treatment,” she responded, sourly, “he took a few patches and took off, uh, that way.”

She jerked her thumb towards the road. Fuck. Who knows how far RK could’ve gone. 

He fumbled for his phone and halfway through typing realized he didn’t have the bastard’s number. Teeth grit, he turned to the one person who might know where he ran off to. 

“Anderson, put the twink on.” He demanded once the call went through. 

"Fuck you, Reed.” Anderson sighed, but there was a bit of muffled noise as the phone was passed off. 

“Hello, Detective?” Connor’s soft voice greeted. 

The difference between his and RK’s voice was wild, now that he was forced to think about it. RK’s was deeper, sharper, had an edge to it. Connor’s was soft, gentler. It was weird. 

“Where’d your brother go? Asshole freaked out on a suspect and then took off. What the fuck is up, Connor?” He snapped. 

“He what?” Connor’s voice wavered. “What did he do? Is the suspect alright?”

“He has a broken nose and probably has a few crushed fucking ribs but fuck- RK was yelling all this shit about- I don’t even know. Took him a minute to snap out of it. I’m tired of being out of the fucking loop, if he’s gonna be my partner I need to know what his fucking issue is.” 

“It’s not my place to say, Detective. I will reach out to him and let you know how and where he is.” Connor informed him, shortly. 

“That’s-“ The line died as Connor hung up and Gavin cursed. 

“Is he okay?” Tina asked. 

The suspects were being led out as she stepped down the stairs. Her hand slid up to touch his shoulder and offered a firm squeeze. 

“I have no idea where that fucker is.” He sighed, shaking his head. “He can’t just pull this shit, you know?”

Tina sighed in agreement. “It’s always the pretty ones, huh?”

__

The bullpen is eerily silent when they get back to it. Tina checks him gently with her shoulder and nods to Connor, who is pacing beside his desk, his LED circling yellow, lighting up the bullpen like a fucking disco ball. 

“Any word?” He asked, arms crossed. 

Connor gave him a brief glance before shaking his head. “He’s never done this before. RK doesn’t run away.” 

“Before?” Gavin echoed. “So he’s had breakdowns before? And no one thought to fucking tell me?” 

“We believed it was under control.” Connor defended. 

“Well it obviously fucking isn’t. He fucked up the suspect pretty bad. What was that, a mental breakdown or something?”

Connor’s expression tensed. “Yes. In a way. RK has been through…” He struggled to find the correct word. “An ordeal. You have to be patient with him.”

“Patient my fucking ass. He-“

“He didn’t know what he was doing.” Connor insisted. 

“That’s bull-“

“Detective.” 

Gavin turned sharply on his heel. RK was standing there, looking more disheveled than Gavin had ever seen him. His hair was mussed, that stupid loose curl of his pushed back. His jacket was gone and he wore only a black undershirt that had holes ripped through. The bullets, Gavin remembered, absently. 

He moved forward, out of instinct, wanting to run his fingers over the skin there. It was pale, like the rest of RK. The thirium must have dried off, there was no stain or free fluid. And despite it all, RK looked…good. Gavin hated that. 

“What the fuck.” He said, weakly, all the anger and arguments fading as he looked up at RK.

“I owe you an explanation.” 

“RK.” Connor warned, lowly. 

“It’s alright.” RK assured him. “Detective, if you would?”

Gavin shot Connor a smug look as he walked by, following RK down the hall to an archive closet. It was an old dusty room, full of ancient cabinets and dead case files. There was an extra desk there and RK perched himself atop it upon entering. Clearing his throat, Gavin closed the door behind himself. 

“So?”

“Give me a moment.” RK asked, softly. In the same motion he began sliding the ruined shirt over his head. 

“Oh-“ Gavin flushed. 

“Please, Detective, have some respect for yourself. A supply closet?” RK chided, dryly, not looking up as he neatly folded the shirt on the desk. He fished a thick stack of bandage looking material out of his pockets. 

Gavin mumbled under his breath, something about smug ass tin cans and full of himself. The corner of RK’s lips twitched up. 

“Ask what you want. I’ll do my best to answer them.” RK told him, peeling the first bandage back. 

It was a synth skin patch, Gavin noted, watching curiously as RK set one atop an open hole in his shoulder. 

“Why’d you run?” 

RK continued working over himself. “I was scared,” He admitted, honestly, “Of what you would think of me after seeing that.” 

“Scared.” Gavin echoed. “Of me?”

“Not necessarily over you, just your opinion. It means a great deal to me.” RK said, smoothing out absent wrinkles in the skin patch. 

“Why?” Gavin blurted out, brow furrowed. 

“You’re my partner.” 

Ah, of course. 

“You’re going to be a very large part of my life, Detective, I want-“ He stopped, looked up from his chest. “I want you to like me.” 

Something in Gavin squeezed tight. “Well,” He shifted, unsure of what to say, “don’t run off on me like that again, okay? If- if you need to talk through it or whatever, let me know.” 

There was something in RK’s expression that Gavin couldn’t identify, but it was gone quickly as he looked back down to his wounds. 

“Understood.” 

“Okay, now the big one. Why’d you freak out like that?” 

RK stilled. His hand wavered over the last wound. 

“That,” RK started slowly, “is harder to explain.”

“Try.” Gavin insisted. 

RK’s eyes shut. He set the bandage down. 

“I lost someone. In New York. After that, I changed. Everything changed.” RK said, hollowly. 

Gavin swallowed hard. Fingers shaking, he picked up the bandage and pressed it over the final wound. RK’s eyes shot open and he looked down at Gavin.

“I get that.” Gavin admitted. “I’ve lost people too.”

His eyes were focused on the edges of the synth skin, smoothing out the corners of it. His fingers brushed over RK’s smooth skin and warmth flooded through him. 

“But you can’t shut down on me like that, okay? I can help. Or I can try. I’m not a therapist or whatever but I’ve had my fair share of bullshit.” The patch was done and Gavin moved to step back. 

RK’s hand moved and circled gently around his wrist. 

“I can’t take another loss, Gavin.”

The way he said his name could almost make him cry, soft and reverent like it was worth saying.

“I get that. But hey,” He laughed, weakly, keenly aware of RK’s fingertips resting over his pulse, “you won’t lose anything else while I’m your partner, okay?”

RK nodded, hand sliding away. “Alright.”

__

**PlasticPrick:** RK told me how he spoke to you about New York. Thank you.  
**Gavin:** Wasn’t 4 u but ur welcome i guess 

__

 **RK:** Trusting you with my number was a mistake. Tina is sending me memes from the early 2000’s and I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve it. 

Gavin snorted. He glanced over to Tina, who was furiously typing on her phone. 

**Gavin:** she’s bonding, memes are tina’s love language

 **RK:** My love language is peace of mind and she’s violating it. 

Gavin bit his lip to contain a snort. He looked up from the desk to where RK was, literally sitting across from him. The android raised a brow and shook his head. 

“You love it, don’t you?” Gavin asked, grinning. 

“I love quiet.” RK told him, shortly. 

__  
Things were better after their talk. Not completely, RK was still holding something back. There was more to him that he was letting on. Whoever he had lost in New York was weighing on him heavily. 

Tina helped, because of course she did, everyone fucking adores Tina. She got RK talking, eeked out little bits of information Gavin latched onto. RK liked the colors white and blue, didn’t like drinking even though a new patch was pushed through that allowed them to, had his own apartment. 

“I have a cat.” He admitted, during one of Tina’s friendly interrogations. 

And fuck, Cyberlife really had to go and make him the perfect man, didn’t they?

“You never told me that?” Gavin scoffed. “I love cats, how the fuck did I not know you have one?”

RK offered his hand out and a small hologram lifted from his palm. It was a video of a dainty looking white cat, stretching out languidly across a couch. She blinked lovingly at open space. 

“Her name is Lady.” RK said, now sheepish and almost embarrassed at the admission. 

“Oh my god, look at her little pink beans!” Tina cooed. “RK we have to meet her!” 

Gavin looked at RK, gauging the reaction. 

“I’ve never had guests over, well aside from Connor and the Lieutenant.” He said. 

“Well, perfect, we can have a little house warming party!” Tina continued, dead set on getting RK to socialize. 

“I suppose that would be alright. I’ll have to shop for food, I don’t have anything you can eat or drink.”

“We can go together.” Tina said, beaming. 

“Alright. Set a date.” RK agreed. 

Gavin felt caught in the crossfire of the plan but went along. 

“Wait- RK have you ever been out? Like…socially? To a bar, or anywhere?” Tina wondered. 

“I’ve been to Jimmy’s Bar with the Lieutenant.” RK said. 

“That…barely counts. You should come out with us one night!” 

Gavin looked up again. RK looked apprehensive, almost twitchy. 

“That sounds enjoyable.” He was lying, bold faced lying. “But I wouldn’t want to intrude. I don’t drink, anyway.”

“Bullshit! I read about this place that’s experimenting with thirium based drinks! You can’t exactly get drunk, but it’s more about the experience. Doesn’t a night out sound fun, Gav? We haven’t had one in ages.” 

“Sure, why not? You’re gonna have to wear something other than your turtleneck though.” Gavin grinned up at RK, who looked entirely unimpressed. 

“Oooh, yeah, still black but like, way sluttier.” Tina agreed, eagerly. 

Gavin’s stomach lurched at that. RK somehow made a turtleneck look indecent, he couldn’t imagine him in anything else even slightly revealing. His cheeks burned. 

“Sluttier.” RK echoed. 

“Mhm, who knows, we may even get you laid, RK.” Tina raised her brows comically. 

Gavin’s hands clenched beneath his desk. Fuck. 

“Have to get that stick out of your ass, though. You ever even talk to a girl?” Gavin pressed, forcing himself to play along. 

And RK surprised him, again, like he somehow always did.

“Interesting how you assume I’m a virgin, Detective.” He said, head tilted, that cocky smirk sliding onto his pretty, stupid face. 

Gavin’s mouth fell open and Tina whooped, snorting with laughter. 

“Holy shit, you’ve been holding out on us, RK?” Tina gasped, playfully shoving at his shoulder. 

“My sexual history hasn’t exactly been a topic of discussion.” RK defended himself, dryly, threading his fingers together and resting his chin atop them. 

He was getting human mannerisms down fast, Gavin noted, taking in those long, pale fingers, how realistic the dips and wrinkles on his knuckles looked. 

“That’s because I didn’t know there was one to speak of! I mean, I definitely just assumed, but you’ve got to spill.” Tina pressed, grinning still. 

“Another time, I think,” RK said, looking up to Gavin, a small smile on his lips, “Maybe on this night out. I may be more persuaded with a few drinks in me.”

Gavin’s stomach swoops painfully and he looks away. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. 

“I’m holding you to that, RK.” Tina said, thrusting out her pinky. 

RK looks at it before rolling his eyes and hooking his own pinky around hers. 

“A solemn vow.” Tina says, lowering her voice. 

RK is looking at him again, blue eyes burning holes, as he says, “Cross my heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting there!! It's going to start getting heavier in the next few chapters. Hope you guys enjoyed this one!


	6. raise your red flag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNINGS:
> 
> There's going to be details about assault and suicide in this chapter. They're brief but a very poignant part of the story.

My blue bucket of gold  
Friend, why don't you love me?  
Once the myth has been told  
The lens deforms it as lightning

___  


RK isn't in uniform when Gavin gets to work at a crisp eight am the next morning. He isn't in uniform and that, Gavin decides, should be a criminal offense because RK is dangerously distracting. He has a sneaking suspicion Tina had something to do with that, because she sticks her tongue out at him as he passes her and offers a quick thumbs up. He rolls his eyes but grits his teeth and heads forward.

"Good morning, detective." RK greets, smoothly, looking up from his open palm. 

He closes out of whatever he was looking at with a flick of his wrist and smiles. That fucker, with his stupid dimple. RK isn't exactly dressed casual, but black jeans are a decent change from his usual white jacket, black suspenders and black slacks. And fuck, Cyberlife didn't need to make his thighs and his ass that fucking thick. He's wearing a white button up tucked in and his collar is unbuttoned just enough to give Gavin a peek at his throat and holy shit- Gavin wanted to sink his teeth into the skin there. 

He swallowed hard. "Mornin'." He grunted out.

Gavin sat heavily down at his seat. Nines tilted his head, looked down at him through half lidded eyes in that sort of predatory way of his that had no business looking so good. 

"I received seven texts from Officer Chen this morning about our night out. I didn't think she was serious." RK told him, tonelessly. 

Gavin snorted. "That's Tina for you. She's not going to give up on that." 

RK shook his head. "I don't think I'd be good at it." He admitted.

"At what? Going out and drinking with us?" Gavin asked, incredulously. "It's hardly any different than when we drink in the break room."

"That's vastly different. There's...expectations. I'm not a social model, I don't know how to interact in that way. I am..." He hesitated again, mulling over his next words. "I am afraid I won't be good at it."

"No one's good at it, tin can, that's the point. Look- if you really don't want to go I'll get Tina off your back-"

"No! No. That isn't necessary, I am nervous but it's a new experience. I'll try." 

"Tina's gonna have a blast dressing you up." Gavin warned him. "Now that your latest nervous breakdown is over, we got some interrogations to go over." 

"Right. The suspects." RK murmured, lowly, nodding. 

"I have an idea on how to go at 'em. They're already scared shitless of you, let's exploit that."

"You want me to intimidate them?" RK asked.

"I want you to fucking terrify them."

___

"Why did you kill the android?" Gavin asked, bluntly. 

The man glared past Gavin to RK, who stood just behind the Detective's chair. He stared coolly down at the suspect, unmoving. The plan had been to intimidate the first suspect into confessing. The suspect was Jeffrey Austen, previously employed at a local diner, no prior criminal records besides the odd traffic ticket. He was relatively spotless, untouched, until now. 

"I didn't do shit." 

"We both know that's untrue." RK spoke up, head tilting. "Your prints were all over his body as well as several DNA samples." 

"His." The man repeated, sneering. "Isn't- Androids aren't he's or she's."

"So you don't like androids." Gavin said. 

"Don't know anyone that does." Jeffrey's eyes flit back up to RK, who simply cocked an eyebrow. "Except you bootlickin' feds. What kind of sellout lets an android take your job?"

"RK is my partner, he isn't replacing anyone. Androids are equals now." Gavin retorted. 

RK felt a surge of pride at hearing that. Gavin had come a long way. 

Jeffrey's face flushed dark at hearing that and scoffed, shaking his head. 

"We have the DNA, Jeffrey, that alone is enough to earn you fifteen years at least. If the right jury gets ahold of this case, you could face life. People are really passionate about making it up to androids now, man, there's no way out of this." Gavin continued. "If you confess, we can knock it down to ten." 

"Oh, fuck, thanks." Jeffrey snorted. 

"You have three children, Jeffrey. You have the choice. Ten years absent or fifteen to life." RK cut in. "Your youngest is seven. How much are you willing to miss?" RK cut in, harshly.

Jeffrey glowered at the android. "Don't fucking mention-"

"Why did you kill him?" RK interrupted once more. "Why him? He was just-" 

Gavin tensed and looked up to RK. His LED was still spinning red. He blinked and then froze, his expression pinched. 

"RK?"

"You fuckers don't get it! You show up all fuckin' perfect and start takin' our jobs and our lives."

RK shifted suddenly, blinking rapidly as he caught up. He tilted his head. "You were replaced by an android at your job approximately four weeks ago." He stated, pulling up the staffing information. "A.." He blinked. "An AP700. The same model as Logan." 

"How could you have known what model he was?" Gavin asked. 

Jeffrey was silent, eyes downcast.

"It wasn't just you three." RK deduced, hollowly. 

"I want my lawyer."

____

"So we have android serial killers on the loose, that's fucking fantastic." Gavin sighed, pinching his nose between his fingers. "I don't even know where to start, RK. RK?"

He turned in the hallway, brows furrowed. "RK?" he repeated. 

The android was lingering behind, his expression blank, blue eyes pale and unobservant. Gavin frowned and reached out, touching RK's arm delicately. There was no response and Gavin grew bolder, skimming his fingers down to RK's hand. He lifted it and squeezed. 

"Come on, big guy, what's going on up there?"

RK blinked again, eerily, and looked down at their joined hands. 

"I apologize," He murmured, softly, "I received some unexpected news."

"Bad?"

"No." He shook his head. "Not really."

"So, good?"

"I don't know, exactly. I'm...confused." RK squeezed Gavin's hands. "Would you come with me? I need a moment. Or a few."

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, man, of course. Uh, where?" He stammered out, trying desperately not to focus too hard on the gentle pressure of RK's hand in his. His hand was so soft, wildly smooth and warm. 

"I'll drive."

___

They ended up at beach. It's pretty enough, almost empty aside from some stragglers resting on the shore. RK darts for a bench and Gavin followed, pulling his jacket a little tighter around himself.

"You picked a hell of a time to go to the beach." He grit out. 

"Sorry." RK said, smiling. "This was the first place I went with Connor when I came back from New York." 

"Hell of a view." Gavin exhaled, looking towards the water. 

"I wanted to be here when I told you. About why I...am the way I am." He stared at the open palm of his hand before closing it. "It's messy, I must warn you. You'll think of me differently. But you deserve to know."

"Hey." Gavin started, reaching forward again. "You can tell me."

"You know what I was made for, don't you?"

"Uh, deviant hunter, right?"

Immediately he knew that was not the full extent of his purpose. RK's lips lifted up slightly in the corners. 

"In a manner of speaking, yes. The RK900 model was meant to be a military model. Stronger, durable, meant to survive by any means. I am programmed with every possible offensive and defensive motion. I am programmed to be a machine made to kill."

Gavin's mouth opened but he could find nothing to say. 

"You don't have to say anything. I'm aware this is quite a lot."

"No, it's just- do you still think of yourself as that machine?" Gavin asked. 

That question seemed to surprise RK. He inclined his head. 

"I don't know," he admitted, "I know progress is being made, that androids are being accepted, slowly, as living beings. But it's difficult to include myself with them. I was designed to be different. To not mesh with humans or androids."

Gavin felt anger heat in the pit of his stomach. "That's bullshit. You're more alive than half the fuckers out here."

RK smiled. "That's kind of you to say."

"It's fucking true."

The smile dropped and RK looked down to his fists. 

"Today I received the ruling on the three men I killed. Captain Fowler and Connor were able to work a deal out and convinced the judge that the attack triggered a threat response in my programming. And because of how I was made, it passed."

Gavin swallowed hard. "I- that's- fucked. I mean, it's good you were cleared but-"

RK laughed, a derisive, harsh noise. "You don't even know why I did it."

"I know you're good, RK." Gavin said, intently, leaning forward. "You try every day to be good and I don't care what or why you did some bad shit." 

RK's expression flickered, went wobbly for a minute. "I didn't kill them because I was a slave to my programming, I did it because I wanted them to hurt. Because of what they did. To him."

Gavin sat up. It all came back to this person, this singular him that ruled all of RK's actions. Gavin wet his lips. He reached forward, offered his open palm. RK took his hand willingly, squeezed it gently. 

"Take your time." Gavin coached, softly. 

"After I was activated, I went to New York to find myself," he smiled weakly, "I didn't have a purpose because of the Revolution and had no idea where to go. I wandered for days before someone found me and took me in."

His expression changed, he smiled gently, fondly. "His name was David and he was the kindest man I've ever met."

There was a way RK talked about people he cared for. His voice softened from it's usually dark, low tone and he smiled almost dreamily. Gavin wanted to be spoken about that way, all doe eyed and dreamy like he was the best thing in someone's life. 

"I fell in love with him. And we had only a few good months together before he was taken from me." His grip tightened just slightly and Gavin reciprocated. "He was assaulted by human. He was an easy target, he was too kind to fight back. He loved people, he had so much faith in humans and our futures together. He wouldn't have known how to fight back even if he had wanted to." 

Gavin said nothing, didn't even know where to start. 

"He sent me a message and when I got there I just- lost control. They were brutal, there was no humanity in what they had done and I felt like they deserved the same treatment so I-"

"Killed them." Gavin finished. "You told me before."

"I don't remember all of it. I remember enough, enough to know I took it too far. And then when I was done, I realized what I did and that David wasn't- that he was beyond repair. So I removed my own thirium pump."

"That's- Christ, RK, that's suicide, isn't it?"

"Yes." RK admitted, head bowing. "I felt that without David there was nothing left for me. It was cowardly-"

"You were scared and sad, that isn't cowardly." Gavin bit back, shaking his head. "RK, I'm sorry. Fuck, I- that's a lot."

"I know." RK agreed. 

"How- How are you here, though? Like logistically."

"Connor found me and reactivated me. Apparently Elijah Kamski owed him a favor. When I was brought back I felt entirely numb. As if my world was closed and terribly quiet."

RK looked back up to Gavin. "It's been getting better. Thanks to Connor, Hank, Officer Chen and _you_. Gavin, you have helped me immeasurably and I cannot begin to tell you how much that means to me." He squeezed Gavin's hand once more. 

"Uh, yeah- of course. RK, I- uh, fuck, I'm not good at this." He stuttered through the sentence, cheeks flushing. 

RK smiled, brighter than he had been before. "I know, but you're helping all the same."

"I hope you don't think less of me. I understand-"

"Nothing's changed." Gavin blurted out. "I'm glad you told me, but- fuck, you know you don't have to, like, atone for anything, right? Whatever they made you to be, you aren't." He took in a shuddering breath. "I've never met someone who tries to be as good as you. You let Connor mother hen you, you go to the bar with Anderson so he won't be alone, you put up with Tina sending you eight texts in a row- you're real, okay? If anyone's earned their humanity, it's you."

When he finally got the nerve to look back at RK, he was staring right at him, eyes wide and his lips parted just slightly. 

Fuck. 

"Thank you."

Looking at RK right now was - a lot. His face was stupidly perfect but now it was cracked wide open with emotion. His eyes were dilated, darker now than he had ever seen them. 

"I-yeah, no problem." He stuttered out. "Don't tell anyone I'm nice though. I have a reputation to keep up."

RK's expression didn't change much, his eyes were still locked on Gavin's, his lips curled up in the corners. Their hands were still clasped and Gavin was worried he was getting too sweaty. His fingers itched to thread through his. 

"I wouldn't dream of it."

___

**PlasticPrick** : Thank you. He needed that. 

**Gavin** : Again, wasn't for you. 

\---

**Tina** : your ass is grass bitch, i got rk to agree to a night out. i'm gonna sex him up and ruin your life

**Gavin** : i hate you so much

**Tina** : you'll love me when you see the shirt i'm getting him to wear. Get ready, you gay bitch

**Gavin** : this is a hate crime

**Tina** : <3

___

Raise your right hand  
Tell me you want me in your life  
Or raise your red flag  
Just when I want you in my life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fellas, is it gay to hold your crush's hand while you talk about your trauma?

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm not entirely sure how long this is going to be but it's going to be multi chaptered for sure.


End file.
